International Education

International Education

It is an honor to be here at the University of Maryland which has worked closely with the Department of Education for more than 20 years to advance the teaching of languages such as Hebrew, Farsi, Chinese, and Russian.

It is an absolute honor to address UNESCO. During the last 65 years, UNESCO has done so much to advance the cause of education and gender equity, alleviate poverty, and promote peace. When UNESCO was founded in 1945, much of Europe, Russia, and Japan lay in ruin.

It's great to be back before the Council on Foreign Relations. I am looking forward to a spirited discussion with your members.

I want to talk briefly today about my article in the forthcoming Foreign Affairs on education and international competitiveness, and then turn over the discussion to my good friend and moderator, New York's chancellor Joel Klein.